Thanks For Giving A Damn: Recent Episodes
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Paul Griffith tells the strange story about the time he spent playing drums for Hank Williams Jr.
We talk about the strange and wonderful day when Elvis Presley showed up unannounced at the White House with a pistol and demanded to see President Nixon.
Peter talks about Rodney Crowell's Volkswagen, seeing Van Halen at the Whiskey in 1977, Tom Petty at the Whiskey, touring with the Ramones on the Rocket To Russia tour, Ramones stories, DIY touring before punk rock hit, Rodney Bingenheimer stories, John Prine stories, Jim Rooney, etc.
Peter talks about pro wrestling in Buffalo, meeting Townes Van Zandt, Gurf Morlix stories, Martin Scorsese stories, singing on the streets, watching Dave Van Ronk play in the snow, busking with Allen Ginsburg, Bob Kaufman stories, Lawrence Ferlinghetti stories, etc.
Ben Schafer talks about working for Allen Ginsberg, Ginsberg's day to day life, seeing Jurassic Park with Gregory Corso, Ginsberg's photography, fan mail, Richard Hell, Allen's apartment and personal library, Bob Dylan, haters and stalkers, talking about Kerouac, publicizing the Beat Generation, Lou Reed, Ginsberg's funeral, etc.
Jerry talks about Jimmy Reed playing his uncle's juke joint in Florida, seeing Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson at the Apollo Theater, playing private parties for the Kennedys, touring with Frank Zappa, touring with Liza Minnelli, Muddy Waters stories, meeting Jim Brown in a dark alley, Stevie Wonder stories, BB King stories, etc.
Melanie Howard talks about Harlan living with Buck Owens, writing Tiger By The Tail, Pick Me Up On Your Way Down, hanging out at Tootsie's with Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Roger Miller, Bobby Bare and Tom T. Hall, bowling with Hawkshaw Hawkins, guitar pulls, Patsy recording Crazy and I Fall To Pieces on the same session, drinking vodka with Lefty Frizzell, Waylon stories, fishing with Hank Jr., Johnny Cash, Mel Tillis, Little Jimmy Dickens, Porter Wagoner, etc.
Jim talks about the Blue People of Kentucky, Wrong-Eyed Jesus, David Byrne's handshake, arcs of redemption, decorating a motor home with spanish moss, Pentecostal churches, making a film for the BBC, Harry Crews, David Johansen, The Handsome Family, Mike "The California Hippie" Boyette, etc.
Don talks about having Vince Gill as a wingman, meeting his wife at a baseball game, inventing the "songwriters in the round", hearing his song on The Muppet Show, songwriting advice, writing On The Other Hand with Paul Overstreet, Randy Travis stories, meeting Roy Rogers, Kenny Rogers stories, etc.
We talk about Blind Willie Johnson and music's ability to live on and sometimes even transcend time and circumstances.
Ryan talks about ranching in New Mexico, bull riding, broken bones, Red Stegall, working in a wild west show in Paris, Willie Nelson stories, Poodie Locke stories, touring in an old truck, broke down near the Grand Canyon, horses, etc.
Jim shares a very strange story of music, mental illness, David Byrne, obsession, religion, record companies and redemption, etc.
Dale talks about Ray Price's tour bus, thought's on openers, Jerry Lee Lewis stories, Palomino Club stories, playing in the house band at the Palomino, living in Gloria Swanson's old apartment in Hollywood, Sunset Strip in the 80s, etc.
Dale talks about hanging with Earl Campbell at Gilley's, honky tonk fights in Texas, Gilley's stories, George Jones stories, smoking with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash stories, the first time he walked into the Continental Club, Chicken Shit Bingo, Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon stories, etc.
The Wabash Cannonball went from being a song sung by hobos in the late 1800s to selling 10,000,000 copies worldwide and is now a staple in the american songbook. Otis shares stories about the songs' journey.
Jay McDowell is the Multimedia/Assistant Museum Exhibit Curator at the Musician's Hall Of Fame And Museum and he's sharing stories about Jimi Hendrix's early days in Nashville. Stories about the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, meeting Billy Cox, moving to Indianapolis and then Nashville, playing the Chitlin' Circuit, The Del Morocco Club and the Jefferson Street scene, Jimi's pet monkey, Jimi's first recording session, getting arrested for sitting at a "white only" lunch counter, Jimi's first Stratocaster, leaving Nashville, etc.
The man who wrote The Gambler, Forever And Ever, Amen and a ton of other great songs talks about coming to Nashville on a Greyhound bus with $80 and a guitar in hopes of making a go of it.
Webb talks about seeing The Faces live in 1971, Ian McLagan stories, seeing Mott The Hoople live in 1970, being broke down in Slidell, Louisiana, Jerry Lee Lewis stories, Ritchie Blackmore's 200 watt Marshall, Nick Lowe stories, playing Farm Aid, the Nashville rock community in the 1980s, Dan Penn stories, etc.
Otis talks about sleeping in haunted hotels, hoping to see a ghost, Ian Hunter tour stories, Joe Elliot, Martin Chambers, poker games, parlay cards and gentlemanly wagers, his first UK gig, opening for Guy Clark, the history of this show and the plans moving forward. etc.
Bill DeMain talks about Wings' six week stay in Nashville in 1974, Buddy Killen stories, staying at "Junior's Farm", Curly Putnam stories, McCartney at The Grand Ole Opry, hanging with Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner backstage at the Opry, McCartney playing with Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed, recording Junior's Farm at the Sound Shop, Jimmy McCulloch stories, Paul and Linda's love of The Loveless Cafe, Paul and Linda going to the drive-in theater, hanging in Printer's Alley, etc.
Roger talks about Eastern Tennessee pro wrestling memories, the true madness of Knoxville, seeing Waylon Jennings with the Crickets, meeting Waylon at a party for Johnny Cash, how to get a good seat on a Greyhound, crashing at Johnny Cash's house, Guy Clark stories, Hank Williams Jr. stories, Willie Nelson jogging through Chattanooga, Johnny Knoxville stories, Billy Joe Shaver stories, etc
The Gourds and Shinyribs frontman talks about being broke down in Arkansas, Scott Norwood's missed kick, the greatness of Ted Hawkins, South Austin in the early 90s, opening day at Jovita's, the South Austin Housing boom, the Hipster Gentrification Army, buying guns in on South Congress, light night AM radio in Texas, etc.
Kevin talks about hanging out with pro wrestlers in a Shreveport strip joint, biker bars, the Bristol Sessions, seeing Son House in Shreveport, inflicting himself on the audience, Austin Outhouse stories, Ray Wylie Hubbard stories, Jon Dee Graham stories, etc.
Jay McDowell is the Multimedia/Assistant Museum Exhibit Curator at the Musician's Hall Of Fame And Museum and he's sharing stories about Bob Dylan and the musicians who played on his nashville sessions. He shares stories about Charlie McCoy, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Kenneth Buttrey, Charlie Daniels, Pete Drake, Joe South, etc.
Mac talks about recording at Castle Studio in Nashville, breakfast with Merle Haggard, watching Joe Louis matches with Hank Garland, Grady Martin stories, Mississippi John Hurt stories, Johnny Cash opening for Mac on Cash's first tour, recording a duet with Johnny Cash, picking parties at Cash's house, playing Las Vegas in the 60s, Maybelle Carter stories, walking on the beach with Maybelle Carter and Harland howard, working with A.P Carter in Bristol in 1947, Dean Martin stories, Nipsey Russell, John Prine stories, etc.
Mac talks about growing up during the Great Depression, meeting Flatt and Scruggs and joining the Foggy Mountain Boys, meeting Bill Monroe and joining his band, playing with Molly O'Day, Bill Monroe's traveling baseball team, watching Hank Williams do five encores at his first Opry appearance, watching Hank write I'm So Lonesome I could Cry, Bob Hope refusing to play after Hank, Hank fishing with the Governor of Louisiana, Miss Audrey's parties, Hank shooting his pistol in the house, etc.
Todd talks about meeting Skip Litz, stealing a Christmas tree from Kroger, getting arrested in Greencastle, Indiana, a rough encounter with Hunter S. Thompson, meeting Brian Henneman, Bottle Rockets stories, The Monsters Of Tube Socks Tour, his love of Dan Baird and Warner Hodges, playing golf with Chuck Mead and Phil Kaufman, back problems, lawn mowers, etc.
Chuck talks about meeting Buck Owens and Roy Clark, crazy Buck Owens stories, touring with George Jones, singing on stage with George Jones, George Jones stories, Johnny Cash train stories, touring with Loretta Lynn, singing on stage with Loretta Lynn, visiting the Charles Shulz Museum, the first time he played the Grand Ole Opry, etc.
This is a special episode where Otis tells stories and previews songs from his new album, Souvenirs Of A Misspent Youth.
John talks about the Blake Babies eating at Denny's with Henry Rollins, listening to Rollin's record collection, Firehose road stories, Mike Watt's rules for how a band should conduct themselves, Mike Watt's love of Madonna, Lemonheads road stories, Hole stories, Courtney Love stories, etc.
Scott talks about seeing Doc Watson at The Armadillo World Headquarters, Lightnin' Hopkins, Leadbelly, Hasil Adkins stories, Hank 3 stories, obnoxious audience members, VAN-dalism, getting naked and singing gospel songs, surviving a head on collision with an 18 wheeler, gardening, chickens, etc.
Cheetah talks about what it's like to live with Johnny Thunders, John Belushi stories, hanging with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Ian Hunter stories, moving to Nashville, Plowboy Records, etc.
Cheetah talks about recording the Rocket From The Tombs tapes in a haunted rehearsal space, the night The Dead Boys met The Ramones, Stiv Bators mooning The Ramones, the first time he walked into CBGBs, The Dead Boys' first CBGBs gig, The Dead Boys road stories, bad record deals, the greatness of The Dictators, death threats at a gig in Detroit, Stiv Bators memories, learning about Stiv's passing, etc.
Ian Craft of The Howlin' Brothers talks about playing folk music in Ithaca, New York, moving to Nashville, playing on lower Broadway, road life, Brendan Benson stories, eating chicken with Warren Haynes, Sun Studio stories, playing The Ryman Auditorium, playing The Winnipeg Folk Festival, meeting Dr. John, losing a transmission outside of Los Angeles, fishing with Otis, etc.
W.S. talks about touring with Johnny Cash in a 1948 Cadillac, the difficulties of touring in the 1950s and 60s, playing Folsom Prison and San Quentin, the first time he heard Boy Named Sue, recording Ring Of Fire, Luther Perkins stories, the Dylan/Cash Sessions, visiting Johnny Cash for the last time, learning that Johnny Cash passed away, etc.
W.S. talks about joining Carl Perkins' band, Sun Studio stories, recording Blue Suede Shoes and Matchbox, being there for the Million Dollar Quartet session, Jack Clement stories, Jerry Lee Lewis stories, joining Johnny Cash's band, Kris Kristofferson stories, Willie Nelson stories, etc.
Amy talks about an imperfect corporate gig on a riverboat, working at Sun Studios and giving tours to Questlove and Bill Murray, playing on Lower Broadway in Nashville in the 90s, playing Wanda Jackson in Walk The Line, auditioning for Black Snake Moan, Seasick Steve stories, running away from home as a teenager, etc.
John talks about meeting Townes Van Zandt for the first time, becoming Townes' manager, reading fan's letters to Townes, filming Heartworn Highways, Uncle Seymour, Townes partying with Gram Parsons in Houston, Townes sitting in with The Allman Brothers, Townes' love of Lightnin' Hopkins, Townes' artistic drive, the last time he saw Townes, Attending Townes' funeral, etc
John talks about his grandfather documenting cowboy songs in the late 1800s, Carl Sandburg, Studs Terkel, John Sr. and Alan Lomax recording Lead Belly in Angola Prison, discovering folk singers in churches and prisons, finding Muddy Waters at Stovall Plantation, Honeyboy Edwards, Ironhead Baker, making recordings on horseback, traveling in a Model A Ford, Lightnin' Hopkins Stories, Mance Lipscomb stories, Les Blank films, his family's legacy, etc.
The Legendary Shack Shakers' and Dirt Daubers' frontman talks about growing up in Kentucky, witnessing an exorcism, the collective effervescence, Barn Dances And Jamborees Across Kentucky, hoop snakes and wampus cats, representing Paducah in a cultural exchange with Dublin, early days of the Legendary Shack Shakers, Lower Broadway history, road life, comic books, painting sideshow banners, thoughts on art, etc.
Chuck talks about visiting the Bigfoot Museum, Roswell, dropping acid and seeing a UFO, misbehaving in hotel rooms with Levon Helm, bumming smokes from Keith Richards, acquiring Dee Dee Ramone's bass, playing with Don Helms, Hank Williams stories, Quonset Hut history, Owen Bradley and Harold Bradley, Grand Ole Opry TV Shows, etc.
Big Sandy talks about growing up in Orange County, Lowrider culture, seeing Ray Charles live, being inspired by James Intveld, seeing Jerry Lee Lewis at The Palomino Club, Palomino stories, meeting Porter Wagoner, playing the Grand Ole Opry, Sleepy LaBeef stories, playing the Conan O'Brien Show, high security prison gigs, albino skunks, long drives, etc.
Wayne talks about playing with Johnny Thunders, Johnny Thunders stories, dealing with addiction, working with GG Allin, GG Allin stories, the power of youth, getting busted, prison life, his prison band, Red Rodney, Billy Bragg stories, The Clash, Jail Guitar Doors, etc.
Wayne talks about his red, white and blue Stratocaster, Iggy Pop Stories, Stooges stories, MC5 guitar amp preferences, the MC5 van, being harassed by Detroit police, the Bell Isle Love In Riot, playing the 1968 Democratic National Convention, 1960s stage volumes, Dick The Bruiser, etc.
Sid talks about sneaking into bars in Louisville, shaking hands with Bill Monroe, discovering The Sex Pistols, driving across the country to L.A., Rodney Bingenheimer stories, Ireland's love of Country Music, touring behind the Iron Curtain with Billy Bragg, writing liner notes for reissues of classic records, writing for the BBC, reporting Johnny Cash's death for BBC Television, etc.
Hayes talks about playing basketball with Bruce Robison, losing teeth in a softball game, seeing the Rolling Stones in a 400 seat club, Mick Jagger throwing water on him, the greatness of Adam Carroll, singing "Paradise" with John Prine, the Old Quarter, Townes Van Zandt, pickup basketball war stories, etc.
Hayes talks about his sports prognostication skills, making sports bets with fans, Bob Schneider stories, behaving badly at The Saxon Pub, playing smaller venues, Todd Snider's dog lamp, Todd Snider stories, false rumors of a Wyoming mental institution, being detained at the Canadian border, a $500 orange, dealing with anxiety attacks, etc.
John talks about his first Reds game, Joe Nuxhall's day job, Oklahoma pride, Hardcore and DIY, dealing with anxiety and panic attacks, learning that Rachel Maddow is a fan, Lucero stories, Austin Lucas stories, Boys II Men, bad gig stories, sharing a gig with midget wrestlers, The Precious Moments Patriots, etc.
My guest this week is Jason Ringenberg. Listen in as Jason And The Scorchers' frontman talks about eating barbecue with Bob Dylan, touring with Dylan, Perry Baggs stories, being heckled by Survivor fans, playing Conan O'Brien's show, touring on British trains, avoiding The Tube at all cost, the birth of Farmer Jason, performing for children, making a Christmas record, his farm, etc.